10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites You Can Visit Solo (And How I Booked Them)
I’m not sure when this became important to me, but when I travel, I try to visit or at the very least, pay attention to UNESCO World Heritage sites. These are designations that protect and preserve cultural and natural heritage that are of value to humanity. So truthfully, these sites should be important to every traveler.
This list is curated by people who have already done the work of figuring out what's worth protecting, and to me, what’s worth seeing. Over the past ten years of solo travel, I've made my way to ten of these sites so this post tells you what each place is, what it was like to visit alone, and how to book a tour if you don’t want to figure out logistics yourself.
Sites covered in this post
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
Old Havana and its Fortification System
Viñales Valley
Antigua Guatemala
Sian Ka'an
Medina of Marrakesh
Medina of Essaouira
Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley
Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena
The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
Central America & the Caribbean
1. Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
This is the second-largest barrier reef in the world, and the only fully marine UNESCO site on my list. When I visited Caye Caulker, it actually was not my plan to visit the barrier reef the way that I did. My plan was to snorkel, but because I visited just after the pandemic, precautions caused the tour company to cancel my experience.
Spur of the moment, I met someone that gave me a both a golf cart tour and water tour of the island. He asked if I wanted to go out to the barrier reef, and of course I said yes. Though I didn’t get to snorkel, it was nice just to be out there on a boat. The color of the water makes it worth visiting alone, but if you’re a snorkeler, diver, or just happen to love marine life, I highly recommend going. The lesson in it for me was saying yes to spontaneity and still getting to experience a place even if not the way I intended.
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2. Old Havana and its Fortification System
Not only did I visit this site, I danced my way through it.
Cuba will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first international solo trip and third solo trip ever in 2019. That trip will forever shape how I travel and experience life because I had such beautiful and dynamic experiences there. In Old Havana specifically, I took a salsa dancing class through the streets, I took a cigar rolling class at someone’s apartment, and then of course, I walked the Malecón more than once.
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One thing worth noting is that Cuba is largely absent from Viator's catalog of experiences. Back then, I booked all of my Old Havana activities through Airbnb Experiences, a feature that tends to get overshadowed by Airbnb's stays but is worth knowing about, especially in places where tour platforms may not have as much coverage.
These experiences are typically small, hosted by locals, and can offer more offbeat, niche activities. If you're planning a solo trip somewhere Viator's selection is thin, it's worth checking Airbnb's "Experiences.”
Viñales is still one of my favorite experiences to date ten years later. It’s one of those places I look back on and wish I had taken more photos and stayed longer. I booked a horseback riding tour, which also happened to be my first time horseback riding, and the tour took me to a tobacco farm, a bar in the mountains, a cigar rolling class and a rum tasting experience.
Additionally, I stopped at a ventanitas where I had the best roadside cubano I’ve ever had, and later in the day, I ate at one of the oldest restaurants in Cuba.
Viñales has so much character and if you love the countryside, rural destinations, and land as far as the eye can see, it’s a place you can’t skip when you visit Cuba.
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As mentioned above, there are no tours available for Cuba through third party sites like Viator, but you can consider Airbnb Experiences or booking directly through tour companies on the island.
Antigua is a former colonial capital with all cobblestone streets, pastel buildings, baroque church ruins, and it’s all framed by three volcanoes. As a solo traveler, that backdrop automatically makes it feel like you’re in a storybook. It’s walkable and easy to learn and navigate by yourself. There are many cafes and restaurants, it’s the central meeting location for many day trips to other parts of Guatemala, and of course, you’ll want to visit Arco de Santa Catalina, the big yellow arch everyone loves. I would also add a trip to the market to your itinerary or even a cooking class.
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5. Sian Ka'an
Sian Ka'an is a massive biosphere reserve on the Yucatán coast. It’s a mix of wetlands, mangroves, and coral reef, and happens to be my favorite experience from my trip to Tulum. I floated through a lagoon. A lagoon. The cool thing is that although I know how to swim, you don’t actually need to know how. The water just pushes you along. It is one of the most peaceful things I’ve ever experienced. I loved seeing the mangroves and getting used to the tiny fish swimming around my feet.
Normally, you will also get to see archaeological ruins, and for my particular tour, a delicious lunch was provided where I ended up sharing a table with people from around the world. That’s the beauty of these UNESCO sites. There’s goodness and humanity in experiencing them.
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Morocco
The Marrakesh medina is a walled maze. It’s very easy to get lost, especially without a guide, but that is the beauty of being in it. It’s built around Jemaa el-Fnaa square, which is the main, most alive public area in the city, so at some point if you keep walking inward, you’ll end up there. Jemaa el-Fnaa is where you’ll find snake charmers and food stalls, and throughout the medina you’ll also find amazing rooftop restaurants and shops to purchase spices, rugs, lamps, leather goods, and more.
I stayed in two different riads while in Morocco, and the first one was actually inside the medina, which will always be a memorable experience for me, because I had to walk through a market every day to get wherever I was going. I also visited Morocco during Ramadan, so it was interesting to take note of how the country changes during that time.
All in all, the medina of Marrakesh is a dynamic, sensory experience that I feel everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.
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7. Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)
Essaouira is very different from Marrakech. Where Marrakech is washed in rose, terracotta tones and high energy, Essaouira is a windswept fishing port on the Atlantic coast, with blue-and-white streets, fewer crowds, and a much slower pace.
I visited as a day trip from Marrakech, and if I had known how much I would love it, I would have planned to stay over night and spend a couple days there. It is easily the most cinematic city I’ve ever been to. You’ll want to hang out at the fishing port and the ramparts for a bit and then head inside the medina for art galleries, shops, oud players, and cats. There are so many cats.
It really is just a stunning destination that pictures truly don’t do justice.
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East Africa
8. Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley
This UNESCO site covers three interconnected lakes, Nakuru, Elementaita, and Bogoria, known for drawing massive flocks of flamingos and a wide range of other wildlife along the Rift Valley. I visited both Nakuru and Elementaita, the first by boat and the other staying in a lodge overlooking the lake.
Kenya may be my favorite destination to date, and this experience was part of the reason. Being within feet of bloats of hippos, and groups of wildebeest, waterbucks, and other wildlife is an unreal experience. I spent most of the time trying to balance being in the moment and trying to capture great shots.
You’ll want to do this as a guided tour to ensure that you’re completely safe and get to see all that you can see.
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South America
9. Port, Fortresses and Group of Monuments, Cartagena
Cartagena's walled Old Town is one of the best examples of Spanish colonial military architecture. You have brightly colored buildings, plazas, and centuries-old fortifications all around the city. I also had some of the best street food I’ve ever had within these walls.
Getsemaní is the trendy, hipster neighborhood you’ll want to visit for cute cafes, umbrella alley, and incredible murals. From there, you can hit the wall to literally go “walling,” where you’ll see people playing soccer, painting, chatting with friends, or really anything. I may go as far as to say the wall is the best place to feel the vibe of the city.
The groups of monuments are within areas near places like Palace of the Inquisition where you’ll definitely want to go to see beautiful architecture and learn important history.
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United States
10. The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
This UNESCO site is a bit different from the rest of the list. It’s a designation covering eight Frank Lloyd Wright buildings across the U.S., and you don't need to visit all eight to count it. The Guggenheim Museum in New York is one of the eight, which is instantly recognizable for its spiraling, sculptural interior. It was designed this way to let visitors experience art on a continuous downward ramp instead of room by room, which I quite like.
I visited in 2024 for the Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility exhibition, which featured majority Black artists. It is one of my favorite exhibitions to date, and it was a privilege to have seen it at this particular site. Of all the museums I’ve been to across the country, the Guggenheim remains one of my favorites.
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If You Only Have Time for One
If I had to send a first-timer to just one of these ten, my pick would be Antigua, Guatemala because it’s beautiful, accessible, and in my experience, quiet and serene. It’s also a whole city compared to some that are sites within cities. You would fly into Guatemala City and take transportation about an hour to get there. Once you’re there, it’s a walkable city with plenty to see and do for a few days. Learn more about Guatemala here.
My runner-up would be Cartagena, Colombia, especially if you want a place that is relatively easy to get around and explore by yourself. It’s a colorful city with delicious street food and plenty of history to discover. Learn more here.
Tips for Visiting UNESCO Sites Solo
A few things I've learned after doing this ten times:
You should definitely book tours in advance if you can. Doing things as a solo traveler can get expensive if you do them by yourself, pay for private transport and pay on site. If you join group tours through sites like Viator, it solves everything for you logistically and you don’t have to carry as much cash around.
When you book tours, it can be safer as a solo traveler, especially for sites that are more walking intensive or require knowledge of the area and land. Organized tours also cover the permits and entry fees you need to access many places.
Check the weather and seasons before you book to make sure you pack accordingly. There’s nothing worse than finding out you would have to get in the water and don’t have a swimsuit or that you’ll have to hike a mile and you only have sandals.
If you've visited any of these ten or you have a UNESCO site solo travelers should add to their list, I would love to hear about it in the comments.
